Planoaraph co



. E. SCHNEIDER. APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING '[ORPEDOES BY MEANS OF UNDERWATER TORPEDO TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10.]918. 1,310,896.

Patented July 22, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

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Jm I WM WM, v Carney;

THE COLUMBIA PLANonnAPH cm, WASHINGTON, m C.

Ef'GHNEIDE-R.

. APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING TORPEDOES BY MEANS OF UNDER WATER TORPEDOTUBES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-10. 191K.

Patented July 22, 1919.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I THE COLUMBIA PLAHUuRAIlI 60.. WASHINGTON. b. c.

, ward end of the tube, I

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE ASSIGNOR TO SCHNEIDER & CIE., OF

PARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY or FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR LAUN CHIN G TORPEDOES BY MEANS TUBES.

or UNDER-WATER TORPEDO- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented: 11y22, 1919,

v Application filed September 10, 1918. Serial No. 263,455.

' This invention relates to torpedo-launch-.

ing apparatus, and it has for its object to provide an improvedapparatus, especially adapted for underwater torpedo-launching tubes forsubmarines and other vessels, which will enable thelaunching operationsto be performed very quickly while permitting the forward door of thetube to be kept closed up to the very instant of the actual ejection ofthe topedo, thus leaving the torpedo dry although the tube be situatedunder water. I

Heretofore the launching of atorpedo has comprised three successiveoperations, namely:

(1) Opening the door that closes the for- (2) Releasing the torpedo thatis being held in the tube by means such as brakes, bolts or otherdevices, I

(3) Releasing the ejecting mechanism proper, as by firing a powdercharge, or admitting a blast of compressed air, oroperating an ejectingpiston, etc.

In some cases the above stated operations (2) and (3) areconjugated.

The present invention consists in an apparatus wherein these threeoperations are conjugated in an extremely simple manner, said operationsbeing further effected, in the desired order and without interruption,by a single movement on the part of the person intrusted with thelaunching.

According to this invention the member for openingthe front door of thetorpedolaunching tube (which may consist, inthe usual manner, of asuitable piston actuated by a fluid under pressure) actuates at theproper time, through the tail rod of the pis: ton, the device (such as aretalning finger or brake) which keeps the torpedo in the tube,

and the device for ejecting the torpedo.

The invention also comprises various devices designed to prevent anywrong maneuver and to permit an emergency operation by hand.

The invention is capable of receiving a Variety of mechanicalexpressions, one of which is shown on the accompanying drawings, but itis to be expressly understood that the drawings are forpurposes ofillustration only, and are not to be construed as a definition of thelimits of the invention, referencebeing had to the appended claims forthat purpose.

In said drawings: I

Figures 1 and 1 are side elevations, partly in section of connectedportions of a torpedo-launching apparatus embodying the presentinvention;

Figs. 2 and 2 are corresponding plan views thereof; 7

Fig. 3 is a partial plan showing the front door open;

Fig. 4 is an end view;

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on the right of the torpedo-retainingbolt, on the line VV of Fig. 1.

In all these figures, A is a torpedo-launching tube provided at itsfront end with a door B the opening and closing movements of which areobtained in the usual manner by the rod D of a piston C which moves in acylinder E and may be subjected alternately on its two faces to theaction of a. fluid under pressure.

The operation of'the door B by the rod D may be effected in any,suitable way, such for instance as shown in Figs. '1, 2 and 3, whereinthe door 13 is supported by an axle pin 6 at one end of an arm 5 whichis fixed on an axle B journaled in a bracket a formed on the tube A. Theaxle B has also fixed thereon a toothed sector B engaging with teeth 03formed on or carried by the rod D.

The device for retaining the torpedo and the device for ejecting thetorpedo are operated according to this invention by the tail rod F ofthe piston C which rod is provided with the necessary. operating andsafety-locking parts hereinafter described. Thereby the movements of thedoor B and the. release and ejection of the torpedo can be produced inthe desired order by the sole operation of the lever G that controls thepressure-fluid distributor for operating the piston C. p p l p Thisdistributor, which may be of any suitable construction, is shown asconsisting of a si-mple four-way cock H. Two pipes h 72?, leading fromthe distributor, communicate respectively at e and c with the front andrear ends of the cylinder E. h 121' are pipes that connect thedistributer with the supply of pressure fluid. According to thedirection of movement of the piston C, the pipes h, 72, servealternately for conveying the pressure fluid to the cylinder and forreturning the said fluid to the source of supply by way of thedistributer.

In order to operate the device for ejecting the torpedo by means of thetail rod F, the latter is provided with a member, such as a tappet F foractuatingsaid device, the relative movements of the ejecting device andof the movable tappet being such that the said member will act to effectthis operation at the desired point in the stroke of the piston G, thatis to say, when the door B is completely' openand the torpedo isreleased. It, is to be understood that the ejectlng device furcated toembrace the tail rod F and is actuated by the tappet F in the forwardstroke of the piston C.

For operating the device that holds the torpedo, the tail rod Fcomprises a member, such as a stop F so situated that at the clesiredmomentin the stroke of the piston C (that is to say, when the door B isalmost completely open), this stop will strike the arm L of a bellcranklever LL fulcrumed at Z on the tube A. This stop produces aretraction of the latch or tail bolt L (Fig. 5) by means of said leverLL through a connecting rod L and a rocking beam L fulcrumed at Z on thetube A, a spring being shown on' said rod L to normally urge theparts tothe position shown.

The tail rod F is also preferably constructed in such a manner as to becapable of operating at the desired moment various safety devices whichprevent any wrong maneuver during or before the firing of the torpedo.

To this end the tail rod F may carry a latch the operationof which willbe conjugated with that of the lever G and which,

-be maintained closed. In the example shown, this latch is pivoted at mto the tail rod and is subjected to the action of a 1 spring m whichtends to keep it raised in such avposition that its nose abut-s againstthe arm N of a rocking beam N--N fulcrumed at a fixed point n. In theposition of rest (closed position of the door B), there bears againstthe arm I 1 of this rocking beam a roller 0 carried by the arm 0 of abell crank lever O O fulcrumed at a fixed point 0.- The arm 0 of thislever is connected by a rod P to the operating lever G.

The operation of the improved apparatus as described is as follows:

In the position of rest, with the torpedo Q, situated inside the tube A,the frontdoor B is closed and can bepressed against its seat by thesector B The pressure fluid confined in the cylinder E prevents anymovement of the rack (Z and thus keeps the door B closed. The safetydevice Ni\ I further assures that the door will be kept closed ifthepacking of the piston G is not tight,

For launching, the lever G is pulled over from right to left into theposition G Thereby the tail rod F is unbo-lted, the lever G moving theconnect-ions P-O-O to cause roller 9 to move out of the way and releasethe rocking beam N-N At the same time the distrib-uter moves into aposition such that the pressure fluid is admitted through the pipe 7& onto the rear face of the piston C, while the forward side of the cylinderE is placed in cormnu'nication with the exhaust by way of the pipe Thetail rod F being moved by the piston, it causes the rocking beam N'N whichhas been re leased, to rock out of the way of the latch M. The sector Bis now rotated by the rack (Z and opens the door B. At the moment whenthis opening is completed, the stop F meets the arm L of the bell cranklever IFIJ' and causes the bolt If, which is'hold ing back the torpedo,to move out of the way. Immediately afterward, the tappet F strikes thefork 7' and as above described causes the discharge valve 2' to operateand produce the ejection of the torpedo.

After firing, the operating lever G is re turned into the closingposition G which brings the distributer into the proper positionforcausing the pressure fluid to act upon theforward face of the piston,while the rear end of the cylinder is brought into communication withthe exhaust. The tail rod F now moves to the rear, and the'latch M slipsunder the end of the arm N of the rockingbeam N N which has been returned by a spring n into the position shown. in Fig; 1- wherein itabuts against a l stop at he safety-locking of the door .13 is thusreestablished. j The tail rod F may also be so constructed as to becapable of actuation by hand if required. For this purpose it may beprovided with lateral teeth F meshing with a pinion R fixed on an axle rcarried by the tube A, which axle may be actuated directly by means of akey or a ratchet Wheel mountopposite a notch F which event will occuronly after the door B has been completely opened.

While the illustrated embodiment has been described With considerableparticularity it is to be understood that the invention is not to berestricted thereto, as the same is capable of receiving a variety ofmechanical expressions, some of which will readily suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art while certain features thereof are capable ofuse without other features thereof. Reference is to be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, means for openlng said door,

and means operated by said door-opening means for successively actuatingsaid torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism.

Q. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, andmeans operated by the movement of said piston for successively actuatingsaid torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism.

- 3. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, means for opening said door, meansoperated by said door-opening means as the door moves to open positionfor effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing mechanism, andmeans operated by said door-opening means for thereafter efi'ecting theactuation of said torpedo-ejecting mechanism. i

4. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, meansoperated by the movement of said piston as the door moves to openposition for effecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasingmechanism, and means actuated by the movement of said piston forthereafter effecting the actuation of said torpedo'ejecting mechanism.

. 5.. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, a latch forretaining a torpedo in said tube, and torpedo-ejecting mechanism, apiston for opening said door, a rodconnected to said piston, andmeans onsaid rod for successively tripping said latch and actuating saidtorpedo-ejectingmeans.

f 6.,In combination with a torpedo tube andits door, means for openingsaid door, means for locking said first-named means with the door inclosed position, means for effecting the actuation of saiddoor-operating means, and means operated by said lastnamed means forreleasing said locking means.

7. In combination with a torpedo tube and its door, a piston for openingsaid door, a rod connected thereto, a latch for locking sald rod andpiston in position to maintain said door closed, means for effectingmovement of said piston to open said door, and means operated by saidlast-named means for releasing said latch.

8. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, a rodconnected thereto, means on said rod for successively eifecting theactuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedoejecting mechanism,a latch for retaining sald rod and piston in position to maintain thedoor closed, means for efl'ecting the operation of said piston, andmeans operated by said last-named means for releasing said latch.

9. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door, a rodconnected thereto, means on said rod for successively efl'ecting theactuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism,a latch for retaining said rod and piston in position to maintain thedoor closed, a valve for controlling the admission of fluid underpressure to said piston, and means operated by the movement of saidvalve for releasing said latch.

10. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, automatic means for opening said door,means operated by said lastnamed means for successively effecting theactuation of said torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-ejecting mechanism,and manual means for operating said door.

11. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a piston for opening said door,

a rod connected thereto, means operated by said rod for successivelyeffecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and saidtorpedo-ejecting mechanism, a rack on said rod, 13

and a pinion in mesh with said rack for manually operating said door.

12. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, automatic means for opening saiddo'or, means operated by said lastnarned means for successivelyefi'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-releasing and saidtorpedo-ejecting mechanism, manual means for operating said door, manualmeans for efi'ecting the actuation of said torpedo-ejecting mechanism,and means for preventing operation of said 1ast-named nfeans prior tothe opening of said door.

13. In combination with a torpedo tube, its door, and the torpedoreleasing and ejecting mechanism, a pistonfor opening said Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for mam door,- a rod connected thereto,-means operated by said rod for successively efl'ecting the actuation ofsaid torpedo-releasing and said torpedo-e1 ecti'ng niecl'i'a-nisin,manual means for operating said door, manual means for operating sa'i'dtorpedo-'ej ecting mechanism, and means connected with said last-namedmeans and co-acting with said rod to prevent the operation of saidtorpedo-ejecting mechanism prior to the opening of said doon Intestimony whereof I have signed this specification.

EUGENESCHNEIDER,

Witnesses:

ANDRE MOSTI GKE'It, JOHN F. SiMoNs;

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtomD;c.

